How does the way meat is cooked affect it's protein content?
As the other person said, generally the more you cook something, the less protein it has. However, the amount of protein difference is very small. So if you are so desperate for protein that you are eating meat raw to get it, you need to be eating something different. Contrary to popular belief, meat isn't the best source of protein in the first place. So if you are really trying to hammer the protein, look up the protein content of several foods and choose something else. (I believe tofu is one of the highest actually.) Whey protein is a good source (egg whites). In general, if you are eating protein for the purposes of muscle building, you can't get enough from food. Its not healthy to consume that much food to get the proper amount. (As a fitness nut, I calculated it once. Without using protein powder, I think I had to consume something like 4.5 dozen of egg whites PER DAY to get my proper amount. or 2 dozen if you included the yolks, but that would be a ton of cholesterol. ) Just google, "highest protein content foods" and figure what stuff you like. Trying to get more/less protein is where you should focus, and not on how to change the protein content of any specific item.
Is clay pot cooking the healthiest way to cook food? Why or why not?
Food does indeed taste better when it’s cooked in an clay earthen pot. The secret, perhaps, lies in how it conducts heat. Clay, unlike other cookware materials like steel, iron or aluminum, takes a long time to absorb heat. But once it does, it spreads that heat evenly throughout the clay pot body and releases just as slowly to the food cooking within. This REALLY slow cooking allows for the flavors of a dish to build slowly, for spices to penetrate more deeply, and for meats, even the tough cuts, to break down into succulent pieces.The gentle slow heating properties of a clay pot also play a big role in preserving the nutrition inherent in any food. An experiment conducted in a lab in India found that lentils cooked in an clay earthen pot retained 100 percent of their micronutrients, while those cooked in a aluminium pot retained only 7 percent.Better for the planetBeyond being good for just you and your food, CLAY earthen pots hold a lot of promise for the environment. Because they essentially come from soil, they very readily decompose right back into it when you dispose of them, to be completely bio-degradable, unlike teflon pans and steel pots which take up space in Goodwill aisles or fill up landfills.For example of Indian clay tea cups, Kulhar, which are inherently sterile, hygienic and made for only one-time use. “After the chai cups are used, they are crushed under foot to become dust again thus ensuring that the potter can keep making more — a sustainable practice that was put into jeopardy with the introduction of plastic chai cups which created a waste problem.” And because of their heat properties, Clay pots keep food warm for up to 5–6 hours just off residual heat from cooking, reducing the need for re-heating and making it an energy efficient option.
Does letting food cool down affect your health negatively, positively or not at all?
It is important to get many foods/ingredients up to 160 (some people even say 180 these days) to kill harmful bacteria. This is more important in certain foods than others. For example, uncooked eggs and meat are more of a hazard than uncooked vegetable. Cooked eggs and meat that are not kept below 40F if held for a long period of time can become dangerous as well. For example, I would not eat chicken or turkey if it had not been fully cooked to 160, at least. Even if it was fully cooked, I would not eat it if it had been held at room temp (70F or above) for over 2 hours. I would eat rare beef though because even if it had not gotten all the way to 160 on the interior, the interior can't really get contaminated. Again though, I would not eat it if it had stood at 70 F for 2 hours or longer.I have never heard about the temp of butter having any affect on health. Since it is a fat most bacteria or mold will not grow on it and if it does, it will be very slow growth. Your body's ability to digest it and absorb the nutrients have little to do with the temperature of the butter.I also would disagree that drinks are not affected by temp. Pop will lose carbonation (fizz) faster the warmer it is. Many juices will start to ferment or mold if left at room temp.Cooking sometimes releases nutrients or destroys them. For example in some fruits, like apples, and in some grains, fiber and carbohydrates (starch, sugars) are more available after cooking. Vitamin C is particularly sensitive to conditions - high temps, exposure to oxygen (air) and heat all destroy vitamin C quickly.I would suggest that both for food safety reasons and for best flavor and texture you store things as suggested on the package. For example, a jar that you buy at room temp that says refrigerate after opening. Or sometimes meat will say on Use or freeze by (a specific date).
Is microwaving food bad for our health?
NO!!!! But...... About the least nutrient-friendly way to cook - veggies especially. Canadian research showed (last year) the best way to do veggies in terms of nutrition: Raw Steamed Boiled Microwaved Microwaves can destroy nutrients as they cook.
Does cooking food in the microwave cause cancer?
Here you go: 1. No plastic containers in micro. 2. No water bottles in freezer. 3. No plastic wrap in microwave. Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dioxin chemicals causes cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr.. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, Corning Ware or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else.. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons. Also, he pointed out that Saran wrap is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel or use wax paper instead. This is an article I believe you should forward to your family and friends--anyone who is important in your life
Does cooking your food in microwave oven destroy the DNA in your food and eventually destroy your health?
eating destroyed dna doesn't affect your health. Cooking or drying any food destroys the DNA no matter what process you use (ovens, microwaves, steam, the sun). DNA is a little chemical structure that can be destroyed easily by many things. But what you seem to be suggesting is that eating DNA somehow affects your own DNA. This is incorrect. all living things have DNA and if eating 'damaged DNA' affected us, then why wouldn't eating nondamaged DNA? We wouldn't be able to eat anything except humans in fear of being affected by DNA from plants and animals.... furthermore everyones DNA is different, so we'd only be able to eat ourselves.
Is eating chicken good for your health?
Chicken is one of the better meats for your protein source, which is also the most consumed protein source after red meat.Chicken up to twice or thrice a week is good for you. Chicken, along with fish and turkey, is white meat and often recommended for a healthy lifestyle. Your chicken intake in your daily meals can be in many different healthy ways such as baking or grilling chicken breast or serving it with a variety of sauces and vegetables. It is, however, important that this chicken be skinless and certainly not fried.People even eat chicken up to 5 and 6 times a week. As long as the chicken is cooked healthily and eaten in limited portions, it will not be health hazard. For a 1600 calorie meal, about 2 portions of 2 ounce chicken servings are usually served in one day. Instead of consuming chicken as protein every day, you can eat fish, beans, legumes or tofu.Eating chicken at every meal, especially processed chicken or fried chicken, defeats the purpose of having healthy meal. Often fried chicken is not only loaded with trans fats but is also fried with the skin on adding to the cholesterol and fat count of the meal. Eating too much of anything is bad and that applies to chicken as well.So, you should balance your chicken consumption along with other healthy and interesting proteins to keep your system active and healthy.
Is food cooked or heated by electric rice cookers bad for your health?
How????? Seriously!Nothing else cooks your rice than that hot water steaming all around it..And rice cooker just uses electricity to heat the water, rather than your consumable fuels.That's it.It's the same thing as gas stove Vs Induction. And I should clarify here that "induction rays" are not like your X-rays!!Induction, Rice cookers don't even have any observable effect on things not in contact with them. Lift your vessel one millimetre and the induction cooktop stops working!Please note..If anything, it's healthier to use a rice cooker because you don't throw the nutrient rich rice-water at the end.